The Mysterious Gift
by Star Fata
Summary: Haruhi receives a gift- but who sent it and what's the meaning behind it? The OHSHC boys are on the case!


**AN- It's been a long time since I've written anything, but I'm best with short and sweet- and most of the ideas that have been coming lately would require at least six chapters about triple my usual length. On the other hand, we had no internet for a week- which left plenty of time for writing!**

**This fic is dedicated to Molten-Ashes- who kindly let me borrow her ipad during that week, and decided the ending.**

**Disclaimer: I own volumes 1-17 of Ouran manga, and a complete series dvd boxset of OHSHC anime. Sadly, it doesn't mean I own Ouran. Just that I've provided Bisco Hatori with some pocket change.**

* * *

It was a typical afternoon at the Host Club. They'd just ended a themed week, so it was back to normal standards. Huni- Sempai was guzzling on sweets, Mori-Sempai was lounging silently, the twins were reclining side by side on a three seater, Kyoya was typing on his laptop, Haruhi was washing up and Tamaki… was being Tamaki. Loudly.

"Boss, enough." Hikaru protested, finally. "We just finished a _week_ of themes. Let's give the ladies a breather, huh?"

"And we wouldn't mind one either." Kaoru added, quietly.

Tamaki turned on the hapless Hikaru. "Hikaru, do you truly not realize the ladies are desirous of greater, grander themes?" His eyes twinkled, as his inner mind theatre clicked on. No doubt he was imagining Haruhi shyly modelling a dress for him. "A Ball, a themed ball! Just imagine it! With oil lamps to flatter the beautiful ladies, and gallant young men to welcome them…"

"I don't know Sempai." Haruhi pitched in. "I don't think the girls would like having to conform to the theme themselves. And I'm sick getting pretty sick of wearing costumes all the time too."

Tamaki wailed in horror as Kyoya sounded his agreement. "The attraction of the theme days are that they're novelties, a surprise if you will. By inundating the customers with themes we will lessen the attraction of our normal services, and of the themed days themselves, as they become expected and ordinary. Our usual profits would be consumed in costumes and props."

His glasses gleamed as he delivered his coup-de-grace. "Which would mean less money would be available for our normal amenities, such as the refreshments we offer the guests."

"No sweets!" Huni-Sempai cried out.

Kyoya looked towards the blond senior. "Hypothetically, no." He smiled. "At least, not in the quality and quantity we usually supply."

"Waah! Tama-chan, I don't like this idea!" Huni-Sempai wailed, Usa-chan gripped tightly in his arms.

Mori-Sempai simply inclined his head towards his cousin, stating silently that he supported his cousin's viewpoint.

Tamaki retreated to the corner, gloom radiating from his every pore.

Yes, it was a typical afternoon at the Host Club… Until someone knocked on the door.

Tamaki snapped out of his melancholy with surprising swiftness- even for him. With a graceful bound, he flung himself from his gloomy corner to open the door.

"Hello! Welcome, to the Ouran High School Host Club." He greeted joyously. He opened his eyes. "How may we help you today?"

The man at the door, dressed in a uniform of dark pants and a green polo shirt, frowned at Tamaki. "Sign here." He said, gruffly.

"Why, certainly dear Sir!" Tamaki enthused, reaching for the proffered clipboard. Before he could reach it however, the twin devils materialized in the doorway.

"A delivery?" They chorused. "What is it?"

"And who is it for?" Kyoya asked, from beside Tamaki.

Huni-Sempai popped up in front of Tamaki. "Is it sweets?"

The delivery man barely flinched. "No." He answered, seemingly bored. "Gift for a Miss Haruhi Fujioka, to be delivered at five past five on the dot, to Music Room 3 of Ouran Academy Campus."

Six pairs of eyes widened simultaneously. '_A gift for Haruhi?"_

The cross-dresser in question stepped through the tangle of shocked young men. "I'm Haruhi. Where do I sign?"

As Haruhi signed for the as yet unseen delivery, the boys unfroze behind her.

"Boss, did you order anything?" Hikaru asked, nervously.

"No. Did any of you send anything to my little girl?" Tamaki demanded, desperately trying to hide his own nerves.

Heads shook in the impromptu huddle.

Huni-sempai giggled. "Maybe Haru-chan has a secret admirer." He said, causing Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru to blanch in horror.

"Or her father sent her something." Mori added, causing the three aforementioned besotted idiots to sigh in relief.

"I highly doubt that." Kyoya frowned. "Ranka certainly didn't mention anything to me."

Haruhi's voice drew their attention. "It's beautiful, thank you. Goodbye now."

At once, their eyes snapped to the delivery that had caused such chaos in the Host Club. The delivery now safely ensconced within Haruhi's arms….

"A potted plant?" Hikaru stated incredulously. "Seriously?"

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "Not just any potted plant Hikaru. A rose."

"A yellow rose." Haruhi said, smiling. "Isn't it beautiful guys?"

In an instant, the twins were at her shoulders. "Not as pretty as you Haruhi." Hikaru teased.

Kaoru draped his arm over her shoulders. "So, who sent it?"

The sooner they knew the name of the competition, the better.

Haruhi, oblivious to the undertones of the questioning, simply gazed at her new rose. "I don't know; there wasn't a card. Maybe it fell off or something."

Tamaki clutched his heart in shock. '_Oh, dear sweet Haruhi. So naïve in the ways of romance…. Your fragile beauty has caught the attention of some __**fiend**__, a __coward__ too afraid to admit his name to you even as he confesses his affections… A SECRET ADMIRER_.'

Haruhi looked at the clock and flinched. "I'd better get going if I want to catch the train. See you Monday!"

A half-hearted chorus of goodbyes followed her out the door. They stayed frozen in position until they heard the distant sound of a door closing at the end of the hall.

Tamaki whirled round dramatically. "Gentlemen! We'll meet to discuss this tomorrow morning! I expect you bright and early…" He hesitated here, remembering other early mornings with the hypotensive devil and the deceptively sweet looking Huni-Sempai. He rallied himself to continue his speech. "At 11 AM sharp! We'll meet at the Second Suoh residence to uncover the mystery."

And with that, he flounced out of the music room.

* * *

THE NEXT DAY, 11:10 AM SHARP

Tamaki stood in the centre of his parlour, gazing imploringly at his fellow Host Club members- minus Haruhi, of course.

"Gentlemen, you have been summoned here today to…" He began.

Kyoya interrupted. "Discover who knows Haruhi's secret, and their intention behind the gift." He said, brusquely. "Can we just get this over with?"

Clearly, 11 AM was little different to 7 in the Shadow King's mind.

Tamaki quailed in the face of such evil. "Sure thing."

Hikaru snorted. "Obviously someone's trying to make a move on Haruhi. Why else send a girl flowers?"

Kaoru frowned at the elder twin. "Haven't you ever paid attention to Grandma? Flowers have meanings. Remember that time she went to London to see that Victorian Flower show?" He prompted.

Tamaki looked at the twins in surprise. "The Victorian Language of Flowers…" He said, trailing off. "My mother had a book about it, on her bedside table. She said she bought it when she was a teenager and never quite outgrew it."

The other five stared at him intently. It was rare for Tamaki to speak of his mother to anyone but Haruhi- and that was mostly because Haruhi could relate to living without a mom around, without the instinctive pity the subject brought up in most people.

Reluctantly, Kyoya spoke up. "Do you remember what yellow roses meant?"

Tamaki shook his head. "I wasn't too interested in flowers- or books, for that matter." He brightened. "We'll just have to do our own research!"

He reached into his pocket and took out his phone. The others followed his lead.

"Yellow rose, decrease of love, jealousy." Mori-sempai stated.

Huni-sempai looked up. "This website here says a yellow rose means friendship, I love another, or joy."

Kaoru frowned. "I've got 'Friendship', and 'I rejoice in your friendship'. And if it's 'Rosa Lulea' or whatever, it's supposed to mean 'Let us Forget'."

Hikaru shrugged. "Joy, gladness, friendship, delight, promise of a new beginning, welcome back, remember me, jealousy, and "I care", because none of those are contradictory _at all_."

Kyoya listed off the qualities he'd found. "Joy, wisdom, and power." He smirked slightly. "Tamaki, what have you found?"

Tamaki was pale, his eyes wide. "Some seducer has targeted our Haruhi!"

"What?" Hikaru snapped. "Haven't you been listening boss?"

Kaoru voiced his agreement. "None of these meanings have anything to do with seduction!"

"What have you found Tama-chan?" Huni-sempai asked, curious to Tamaki's reaction.

"According to Wikipedia dot com, yellow roses signify TRUE AND UNDYING LOVE!" Tamaki yelled, panicked beyond reason.

Kyoya double checked. "That's true- but only in Texas."

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Tamaki yelled. "Some rough, uncouth American has chosen to seduce my Haruhi!"

"I'm sure it's not that bad boss." Hikaru stated, dismissively.

"NOT THAT BAD?" Tamaki screamed, looming over Hikaru. "Haven't you seen any movies? Texans belch and fart in public, they wear the same clothes over and over, and are entirely too attached to their livestock!"

"Easy boss." Kaoru pleaded. "We still have to figure out who sent the flowers."

Hikaru was abruptly released. "That's true." Tamaki mused, one hand rubbing his chin. "Who could it be?"

Kyoya closed his laptop with a decisive click. "Obviously it has to be someone who is aware of Haruhi's true identity, in addition to her position in the Host Club."

"Someone like Kasanoda." Mori suggested.

"That red-headed yakuza punk?" Tamaki scoffed. "He's nowhere near good enough for my Haruhi."

Huni adjusted Usa-chan in his arms. "It could be Nekozawa-kun." He suggested. "He saw Haruhi in a dress at the beach."

"_Nekozawa-sempai_!" Tamaki bleated.

"Or maybe that Arai guy from Karuizawa." Hikaru suggested, careful not to insult the boy.

"That'd fit the friendship meaning too." Kaoru pointed out. "Since they were friends at Middle School."

"_The delivery boy_?"

Kyoya ignored his classmate with the ease of long practice. "Of course, these are only suppositions. For all we know it could be Ranka, unlikely as that is, or even another relative. Her family is somewhat estranged."

"HARUHI!"

* * *

ELSEWHERE

While the young gentlemen of the Ouran High School Host Club debated the identity of the gift-giver, three young women were enjoying a spa day.

"I wonder if the fair maiden appreciated our gift." Chizuru Maihara, otherwise known as the Lady of the Lily of the Valley, Suzuran, mused.

Hinako Tsuwabaki, the Lady of the Daisy of St Lobelia's White Lily League, answered with an artful laugh. "I find myself more curious to the reaction of those beasts she's tamed."

Benio Amakusa, known in the Zuka club as Lady Benibara, The Lady of the Red Rose, smirked as she reclined into the Jacuzzi. "Ladies, I'm certain that the results of the delivery were utterly delightful- in both cases. The only matter in question is if either party will discover the meaning behind our gift."

"It's rather obvious now that I think of it." Chizuru giggled. "Yet perfect for it."

Hinako sighed dreamily. "A rose, to signify both Lady Benibara, as representative of the Zuka club and all the beauty of womanhood we've devoted ourselves to."

"Yellow, to symbolize our joy and happiness at being in the Zuka club, the cowardice and deceit of the so called Host Club, and our admiration at her courage in attempting to take such plebeian specimens and turn them into worthy members of society." Chizuru continued in the same tone.

Benio let her head fall back. "And potted, to remind her that such devotion, admiration and beauty can only grow if tended to with love and care." She opened her eyes to view her sisterhood. "This is truly a triumph for the Zuka club ladies."

* * *

MEANWHILE, IN HARUHI'S BUILDING

"Here you are Mrs Keown." Haruhi said, smiling as she handed over the potted plant.

"Thank you so much Haruhi." The elderly woman said, grasping the gift carefully. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to keep it for yourself?"

Haruhi nodded firmly. "Absolutely. Between my scholarship and club activities, I'd never remember it was there, let alone to take care of it. And dad would be even worse."

Mrs Keown laughed. "Yes, I remember when he tried to grow herbs in your kitchen when Kotoko was pregnant. Not so much a green thumb as a black one, if my memories not failing me."

"It isn't." Haruhi assured. "Have a nice day Mrs Keown."

"You too my dear."

* * *

**AN-I sincerely apologise for any offence caused by Tamaki's rant. It's Tamaki here, I literally just typed in 'stereotypes of texans' into google and picked three things Tamaki wouldn't like in relation to Haruhi.**

**The meaning behind the gift was as difficult to work out for me as it was for the characters- I sort of wanted to poke fun at various fics which make the language of flowers instantly meaningful and recognisable. I didn't know who the sender was until I asked my friends for help- but I had vague plans of an estranged relative deciding to send Haruhi a gift on her mother's birthday. But that was too complicated for a oneshot really, so yeah. Three cheers for Molten Ashes, who decided on the Zuka club.**


End file.
